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Shadow had never felt such anxiety.
It was stupid–Silver had already said that he wanted to spend his life with him all those years ago, under that willow tree... But he couldn't help but think that, maybe, after all this time to get to know him, Silver’s mind might have changed. Maybe after seeing the real Shadow, Silver realized it wasn't worth it. Maybe, Shadow should just apologize to the jeweler, and say that he made a mistake. Change it to something more akin to Rouge’s tastes, pretend he had never even thought of getting that ring made. Maybe-
“For fucks sake, Shadow! You're going to wear a hole in our rug.” The bat huffed from her position on the couch, making Shadow stop dead in his tracks. The ebony hedgehog crossed his arms, scowling at his roommate. How dare she get in the way of his near frantic pacing?
“Oh, please. You know that cute little face of yours doesn't scare me much, Hon.” Rouge cooed, rolling her eyes, taking a swig from- “Is that my whiskey?” Shadow asked roughly, clearly annoyed at having his sacred liquor wasted. Rouge just smirked into the near half empty bottle, the finish stained with her signature red lipstick. “Sure is. And we both know you aren't going to do nothing about it, lover boy!” She looked so proud of herself.
Shadow opened his mouth to reply, but... Didn't. He snapped his jaw shut, his teeth making a small click as they came together. He didn't even grumble about the nickname. That was what got Rouge to sit up from her lounging, brows furrowed as she wiped at her lips. Her lipstick smeared even more.
“What's wrong?” All of the bat’s playful teasing was gone from her voice, eyes narrowing. Shadow turned his head away, already knowing that it wouldn't save him from her scrutinizing gaze. She could sense his unease. (When had she gotten so good at that?) “Silver?” He nodded. “Trouble in paradise?” He shook his head ‘no.’ That made Rouge think for a moment.
“About Silver... But not relationship problems... Hmm.” She hummed, crossing her legs, one of her fingers on her cheek, tapping away. It bothered Shadow how easy she seemed to guess what it was, and he knew when she found it out: Rouge gasped, a perfectly manicured hand coming up to cover her shocked open mouth. “Ohhh...” She smirked, wider than he had ever seen her in the nearly ten years he'd known her... It worried him.
“Don't. Tell him. I'm... Still debating.” Shadow could feel his cheeks heating up at the look Rouge gave him. It was both smug, warm, and teasing. “You know I'd never tell. Not on something this big. But... SPILL! How are you doing it? I know that beautiful brain of yours already has everything planned out!”
“I told you, I'm not... Sure. If I'm going to.”
“Hon. The fact you, Mr. “I could never love again”, even thought of proposing is enough to know that the wedding is happening–I better be your best woman, by the way.”
“Silver might not even say yes!”
“Oh, Babe, he will.”
Shadow growled, but relented, plopping down next to his roommate on the couch. He reached over, snatching the bottle from Rouge’s hand, and downing the last half, relishing how it burned down his throat. “Hah-... You know the old willow tree in Central Park?”
Rouge gave it a moment of thought, then nodded. Her ears trained in on Shadow.
-~ ♡ ~-
“Shoot, shoot shoot!”
Silver had already been running late, but then he just had to see the most adorable bouquet of white carnations and... Ugh!! Now he was running uphill, hands full as he tried not to trip, and anxiety plaguing his mind. He hoped Shadow wouldn't be too upset by his tardiness.
As he slowly peeked up above the hill, Silver nearly lost his (already small amount of) breath. Shadow looked gorgeous, his quills expertly groomed and smooth as he sat underneath the weeping Willow's soft tendril-like leaves. It almost looked like a picnic–Minus any food or drinks. (Would it even be called a picnic, then?)–He even recognized the blanket. It was the one that always seemed to go unused on the back of Shadow’s couch.
Silver finally managed to get up the hill, panting with exertion as he quickly sat down across from his boyfriend. “I-I’m sorry I was late. Amy wouldn't let me leave, and-... well. Ah. I saw these and thought of you, so...” He slowly held the flowers out. Shadow looked mildly surprised, but smiled softly as he took them. It made Silver's heart do that weird flipping thing as his cheeks felt like they would burn off with how warm they were.
“Don't worry too much, Silver. And I appreciate the flowers. Thank you.” The ebony hedgehog held the soft white flowers close to his chest, gazing down at them with such love... Ugh!! It wasn't fair how handsome Shadow was!! Those soft red eyes finally managed to tear away from the soft petals of the carnations, meeting Silver's liquid amber. They didn't grow any less loving.
“I'm sure you're a tad confused about why I asked to meet you here, specifically, for our date.” Shadow’s deep baritone voice lifted into the air, nearly like a Siren's song with how it so easily pulled Silver under. He nodded, noticing that his boyfriend could no longer look him in the eyes. Panic flared up in Silver's gut. (Maybe Shadow hates Silver, and wants to break up with him because he's such a bad boyfriend, or... Worse! Shadow never liked Silver, and the poor white hedgie accidentally pressured Shadow into their relationship, and yes he was drastically overthinking things, and no pointing it out didn't help, damn it!!)
Shadow seemed just as, if not more, nervous, having to take a deep breath in to calm his nerves. (Which was not helping Silver's own jitters.) “Five years ago, at this very spot, you had confessed your love to me.” Shadow carefully rubbed at the petals of one of the Carnations with his index and thumb as he spoke, voice quiet and soft. Silver could vaguely remember that day.
→★←
The sunset was a mix of oranges, pinks, purples, and reds, making the sky a gorgeous hue of colors. A soft breeze helped keep the summer heat away, swaying the long leaves of the old Willow. Blades of grass blowing in the wind, making the ground from below the hill nearly look like a sea of green...
And all Silver could look at was Shadow. How he looked so gorgeous bathed in the pinks and oranges of the sky, features soft for what felt like the first time. How his quills swayed in the wind, almost making it look like a crown of deep shifting colors above his head. The way his fur rippled, making him look like the softest thing to ever exist.
“I really want to kiss you...” Silver hadn't meant to say the thought aloud, quickly slapping both his hands over his mouth, cheeks turning a deep shade of red. Shadow didn't seem all that annoyed–In fact, he seemed amused, if his hearty chuckle was anything to go by. The sound was deep and rich, full of so much life that it nearly startled the embarrassment out of the poor white hedgie. “Thank you, I suppose?”
Okay, Silver was going to die. This was where Shadow The Hedgehog killed him–On a hill under a willow tree in Central Park, sitting next to his murderer. Silver must have turned an extra bright shade, since Shadow laughed again.
“I-I think I love you!”
→★←
He had been so embarrassed by his own sudden confession that all he could remember was thinking that Shadow hates him now, and then just feeling a hand in his own and staring into those soft crimson eyes. Even now, the memory made his cheeks heat up a tad more.
“P-Please... I was such an idiot back then...” Silver whined, holding his cheeks in an attempt to hide just how flushed they were. He felt like he was constantly blushing around Shadow, even after all these years. But Shadow just shook his head, a small chuckle leaving him–That sound would never get old, no matter how many times he heard it.
“That's my boyfriend you're talking about, better watch it!” Shadow teased, trying–And failing–To pretend to be angry. But he quickly cleared his throat, getting back on track. The dark hedgehog stood, the warm mid-day spring air sadly having none of the beautiful colors to reflect off of Shadow’s fur this time, but Silver–Sensing a change–Also stood, albeit more hesitantly. The bouquet was left at their feet.
“Silver. For these past five years, I've been the happiest I've ever felt. You are like a straight beam of sunshine into my soul every time I remember your smile, and you have made me the luckiest man to be graced by it.” Shadow started off with a shaky voice, but quickly found his confidence as he took Silver's hands into his own. The action made the white hedgehog’s tail wag happily. “Were it not for you, I’m not sure I could have survived the heartache that Maria’s death had given me. And, at first, I was terrified of the prospect of a relationship, romantic or not.” Shadow took a deep breath. This was something he'd shared with Silver before, but it felt different this time.
“As you know, my immortality means I'd outlive you millions of times over... And I was afraid of that hurt. The pain of losing you. But... But I realized that that fear would only result in hurting more later–Knowing I could have spent more time with you, and... Didn't. It would tear up from the inside out. So, I embraced my feelings for you. Albeit, not without some hardship from my own pride.” Silver’s bottom lip wobbled, and Shadow just smiled lovingly. “You couldn't imagine my surprise when my feelings were reciprocated. For the first time in what felt like a millennia, I could see color... And Silver, it was so bright.” The poor hedgie in question was on the verge of tears, just barely able to keep them in, waiting for Shadow to finish. “Five years of the world being so bright and rich, and. I think you've ruined me for anyone else, Silver. Who would take me on gardening dates? Who else could taste of Vanilla Cake and Apple Berry Pie at the same time? Who would watch cheesy romance movies with me, and then kiss me silly afterwards? Who would cuddle me late at night, chasing away the darkness when my own mind just wishes to replay all my mistakes? Who would I kiss when they inevitably get ice cream all over their nose? You've... You've carved yourself not only a place in my life, but deep into my heart as well. I'm sure there is your name, right next to Hers, deep in my chest.”
“Shadow-”
“I'm not done. Please.” Silver just sniffled, nodding. Shadow pulled his boyfriend close, their hands still interlocked as he felt a wet muzzle bury itself into his neck, his voice right next to Silver's ear.
“It will hurt when you're gone–I’ll miss the way your eyes always light up when you see a bug, or a pretty rock–but I'll have known I spent as much time as I could with you. And I want that to... To be for the rest of your life. So, Silver The Hedgehog, will you-”
Shadow couldn't even finish his speech, because Silver practically half sobbed, half screamed his answer.
“Oh my Gaia, Shadow, Yes!!” Silver couldn't keep the fat tears from rolling down his cheeks as he pulled away–Just enough to smash their lips together in an, admittedly, disgusting kiss. But it was theirs, so it was perfect.
Shadow couldn't wait to have so many more of these kisses.